Category Archives: Action

May 2, 2022 · 12:01 am

Review: The Texas Job by Reavis Z. Wortham

Title: The Texas Job by Reavis Z. Wortham
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Genre: Historical (30s), Action, Adventure
Length: 418 pages
Book Rating: C+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Some men are destined for danger

Texas Ranger Tom Bell is simply tracking a fugitive killer in 1931 when he rides into Kilgore, a hastily erected shanty town crawling with rough and desperate men—oil drillers who’ve come by the thousands in search of work. The sheriff of the boomtown is overwhelmed and offers no help, nor are any of the roughnecks inclined to assist the young Ranger in his search for the wanted man.

In fact, it soon becomes apparent that the lawman’s presence has irritated the wrong people, and when two failed attempts are made on his life, Bell knows he’s getting closer to finding out who is responsible for cheating and murdering local landowners to access the rich oil fields flowing beneath their farms. When they ambush him for a third time, they make the fatal mistake of killing someone close to him and leaving the Ranger alive.

Armed with his trademark 1911 Colt .45 and the Browning automatic he liberated from a gangster’s corpse, Tom Bell cuts a swath of devastation through the heart of East Texas in search of the consortium behind the lethal land-grab scheme.

Review:

The Texas Job by Reavis Z. Wortham is an action-filled novel which takes place in 1931.

Texas Ranger Tom Bell finds more than the fugitive he is searching for when he rides into a booming oil town. He discovers the sheriff has no interest in fighting the crime in his town so Bell takes matters into his own hands. He is soon the midst of ruthless criminals, corruption and gangsters as he looks into the mysterious deaths plaguing the wives of greedy husbands. Bell ends up in the crosshairs of ruthless gangsters who do not want him to find the answers he is searching for.

The Texas Job is an entertaining adventure set in the lawless oilfields of east Texas. Tom is a dedicated lawman who is somewhat larger than life as he evades the criminals who are after him. The criminals are rather one dimensional as they go to extreme lengths in their quest for riches. The storyline is a little convoluted with a plethora of characters. The oil town is richly detailed and springs vividly to life.  Reavis Z. Wortham brings this well researched novel to a dramatic conclusion.

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Filed under Action, Adventure, Historical, Historical (30s), Poisoned Pen Press, Reavis Z Wortham, Review, The Texas Job

February 14, 2022 · 12:02 am

Review: Dark Horse by Gregg Hurwitz

Title: Dark Horse by Gregg Hurwitz
Orphan X Series Book Seven
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Genre: Contemporary, Action, Suspense
Length: 422 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Gregg Hurwitz’s New York Times bestselling series returns when Orphan X faces his most challenging mission ever in Dark Horse.

Evan Smoak is a man with many identities and a challenging past. As Orphan X, he was a government assassin for the off-the-books Orphan Program. After he broke with the Program, he adopted a new name and a new mission–The Nowhere Man, helping the most desperate in their times of trouble. Having just survived an attack on his life and the complete devastation of his base of operations, as well as his complicated (and deepening) relationship with his neighbor Mia Hall, Evan isn’t interested in taking on a new mission. But one finds him anyway.

Aragon Urrea is a kingpin of a major drug-dealing operation in South Texas. He’s also the patron of the local area–supplying employment in legitimate operations, providing help to the helpless, rough justice to the downtrodden, and a future to a people normally with little hope. He’s complicated–a not completely good man, who does bad things for often good reasons. However, for all his money and power, he is helpless when one of the most vicious cartels kidnaps his innocent eighteen year old daughter, spiriting her away into the armored complex that is their headquarters in Mexico. With no other way to rescue his daughter, he turns to The Nowhere Man.

Now not only must Evan figure out how to get into the impregnable fortress of a heavily armed, deeply paranoid cartel leader, but he must decide if he should help a very bad man–no matter how just the cause.

Review:

Dark Horse by Gregg Hurwitz is a multi-layered novel that is full of tension. Although this latest release is the seventh installment in the Orphan X series, it can be read as a standalone. However, I recommend all of the novels in this terrific series.

Evan Smoak’s latest adventure as The Nowhere Man involves infiltrating a drug cartel in order to rescue Aragón Urrea’s eighteen-year-old daughter Angelina. Evan wrestles with his conscience before agreeing to work for Urrea since he is an “unconventional businessman” who is also on the wrong side of the law.  Evan is surprised by how much he likes Aragón but The Nowhere Man will walk away if his prospective client does not agree to his terms. They are sometimes locked in a battle of wills, but Urrea’s love for his daughter means he will do anything to ensure her safe return.

Since Evan is far from home, he relies heavily on Joey Morales’ mad computer skills for a deep dive on Urrea and the cartel leader, Raul “The Dark Man” Montesco. Evan bluffs his way into Montesco’s trust but rescuing Angelina will be a delicate operation with little room for error. He comes up with an audacious but extremely dangerous plan to bring Angelina safely back home.

Evan is at odds with Joey who wants to stretch her wings but only with his approval. He is also very worried about his neighbor and romantic interest, Mia Hall. Evan does not want to make promises he cannot keep nor does he want to become even more emotionally involved with her and her wonderful nine-year-old son Peter. Despite the danger he is facing while rescuing Angelina, he is quite reflective about his personal life. Will what he discovers about himself help Evan make a decision about Mia and Peter during an unexpected crisis?

Dark Horse is a thrilling novel that is action-packed. Evan puts the skills he learned from his mentor and the Orphan program to good use during his daring rescue attempt. He and the regular cast of characters retain their appeal as they continue to grow and evolve.  The secondary characters are well-developed even though many of them are impossible to like. With Evan’s bold rescue plant set into motion, Gregg Hurwitz brings this nerve-wracking novel to a bloody yet satisfying conclusion. The jaw-dropping epilogue will leave old and new fans of the Orphan X series impatiently awaiting the next installment.

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Filed under Action, Contemporary, Dark Horse, Gregg Hurwitz, Minotaur Books, Rated B+, Review, Suspense

· 12:01 am

Review: Anthem by Noah Hawley

Title: Anthem by Noah Hawley
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Action, Adventure
Length: 449 pages
Book Rating: C

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

What does it take to change the world? The “epic adventure” (Booklist) of a band of unlikely heroes on a quest to save one innocent life who may end up saving us all.

For decades, Judge Margot Burr-Nadir has worked tirelessly, case by case, to administer justice from the federal bench of the Eastern District of the United States. Her position already seems like the highest possible honor. So she is surprised when a call comes from the President of the United States inviting her to accept his nomination to the Supreme Court—not least because in choosing her, in an unprecedented attempt to heal a divided nation, the President has reached across party lines.

For Margot, this should be among the brightest spots of an already charmed existence. But the call comes on a family trip to visit their oldest daughter, Story, who has, without warning, vanished as if spirited away in the middle of the night by forces unseen. Margot soon finds herself thrust onto the national stage in the middle of every parent’s worst nightmare.

The desperate search for Story’s whereabouts soon intersects with the mission of teenagers Simon Oliver, Louise Conklin, and a young man known only as the Prophet. Together, they have escaped from the Float Anxiety Abatement Center in Chicago on the trail of man known as The Wizard: an unimaginably wealthy, almost mythical figure of unspeakable evil who has for years been taking whatever he wants without reaping the consequences. Stopping him, this band of young people hopes to accomplish what their elders can’t or won’t do: fix a broken world.

Noah Hawley’s new novel is an adventure that finds unquenchable lights in dark corners. Unforgettably vivid characters and a plot as fast and bright as pop cinema blend in a Vonnegutian story that is as timeless as a Grimm’s fairy tale. It is a leap into the idiosyncratic pulse of the American heart, written with the bravado, literary power, and feverish foresight that have made Hawley one of our most essential writers.

Review:

Anthem by Noah Hawley is a complicated action/adventure novel.

The premise is incredibly intriguing but the novel is an overall slog to get through. A wave of teen suicide is the catalyst for the plot but too many characters and numerous story arcs make for difficult reading. The beginning is quite promising but the novel soon gets bogged down with long-winded paragraphs and extraneous story arcs that really do not add much to the original plot. Readers will recognize the fictionalized versions of real-life people and events that are peppered throughout Anthem. The epilogue is interesting but it takes way too long to get there.

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Filed under Action, Adventure, Anthem, Contemporary, Grand Central Publishing, Noah Hawley, Rated C, Review

August 23, 2021 · 12:02 am

Review: Down Range by Taylor Moore

Title: Down Range by Taylor Moore
Garrett Kohl Series Book One
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense, Action, Thriller
Length: 352 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

In this action-packed debut thriller for fans of C. J. Box and Jack Carr, DEA agent Garrett Kohl fights to protect his home on the Texas High Plains when a vicious criminal enterprise comes after his family.

As a decorated undercover DEA special agent, Garrett Kohl has traveled the world—and fought in most of it—but it’s the High Plains of northwest Texas he calls home and dreams of returning to one day. Kohl is in the middle of an assignment in Afghanistan when his commander orders him back to Texas on a short mission expected to take a week at most. But Kohl is unsettled to discover that he’s moving from one kind of war to another.

The once-peaceful ranching community he loves is under attack by a band of criminals who have infiltrated law enforcement and corrupted local businesses, and are now terrorizing Kohl’s own family. Hoping to prevent bloodshed, Kohl tries to resolve matters peacefully. But when the group strikes first, he has no choice but to go on the attack.

Unfortunately for the crew of criminals, Garrett Kohl, besides being an elite undercover officer for the DEA, is a battle-hardened Green Beret who spent the better part of his career hunting terrorists. Although outnumbered and outgunned, Kohl knows the wild and forsaken Llano Estacado region of Texas better than anyone. And like so many trespassers before them, these murder

Review:

Down Range, the first release in Taylor Moore‘s Garret Kohl series, is an adrenaline-laced thriller.

DEA Agent Garrett Kohl is currently working in Afghanistan when a split decision to save a young Afghan boy puts him at odds with his CIA boss Kim Manning. Fearing the political fallout from his actions, Manning tells him to keep Asadi safe while she tries to minimize any unpleasant repercussions. He and Asadi are quickly whisked stateside where Garrett decides to take Asadi home to his family’s ranch in the Texas panhandle. Surprisingly enough, his gruff father, Butch, immediately takes Asadi under his wing and they bond over the young boy’s love of horses.

Meanwhile, Garrett has fences to mend with his lawyer brother, Bridger. He also tries to get the truth about why Bridger is on edge. Garrett knows his brother well enough to realize Bridger is only telling half the story. As he reunites with old friends and makes new ones, Garrett is struck by the differences in town. A criminal element has moved in with along with the Renegade Oil & Gas Services which is owned by the wealthiest family in the area.

Garrett is a decorated Green Beret who joined up with the DEA without letting anyone except Butch know. He rarely returns home to visit due to his bittersweet memories. He has a strong affinity with the land and his heritage but he is haunted by his guilt over a tragic loss. The circumstances of his introduction to Asadi give him an instant bond with the young boy who implicitly trusts him to keep him safe.

Garrett and his family are soon on the wrong side of the criminals who have taken over their town. No one is safe after Butch foolishly interferes with their business. Garrett soon discovers what Bridger has gotten himself into when the crooks put his brother’s family in peril. With danger all around them, can Garrett figure out a way to bring his loved ones safely home?

Down Range is an absolutely compelling thriller that moves at a fast pace. The main characters are eclectic and well-developed. The Texas panhandle’s vibrantly springs to life though the vivid descriptions of the Kohl ranch and surrounding area. The storyline is extremely interesting with plenty of twists and turns. Taylor Moore brings this action-packed thriller to a nail-biting, edge of the seat conclusion. The Garret Kohl series is off to an explosive beginning that will leave fans impatiently awaiting the next installment.

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Filed under Action, Contemporary, Down Range, Garrett Kohl Series, Rated B+, Review, Suspense, Taylor Moore, Thriller, William Morrow

March 23, 2021 · 12:01 am

Review: You’ll Thank Me for This by Nina Siegal

Title: You’ll Thank Me for This by Nina Siegal
Publisher: Mulholland Books
Genre: Contemporary, Action, Suspense
Length: 256 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

A pulse-pounding psychologicalthriller based on the popular Dutch tradition of blindfolding and dropping teens and pre-teens in the middle of a forest — and what happens when it goes horribly wrong.

Twelve-year old Karin is blindfolded and dropped into the Hoge Veluwe National Forest with three other children. With nothing but a few basic supplies and emergency food, the children are tasked with working together to navigate one of the Netherlands’ most beautiful and wild locations and return to where their families are anxiously waiting.

Karin quickly finds herself at odds with two of the older teens, and suddenly looks up to see that the other children have vanished. As Karin struggles against the elements to find her way back, she soon realizes that something far more sinister lurks in the woods.

Grace, Karin’s mother and an American married to a Dutch husband, has been nervous about this practice from the start. At first she tells herself the space is good for her daughter, but as the hours begin to tick by and the children fail to arrive at their designated campsite, she becomes certain something has gone horribly wrong.

As Karin fights for survival, and Grace hastens to find her daughter, the night culminates in the reveal of a deadly secret—and a shocking confrontation—that will push each of them to her edge.

Review:

You’ll Thank Me for This by Nina Siegal is a tense mystery with stunning twists and cunning turns.

Following the Dutch tradition known as dropping, twelve-year-old Karin and three of her fellow scouts are left in the Hoge Veluwe National Forest to find their way to the campsite. This adventure is usually safe with adults following at a safe distance behind the pre-teens. Armed with a map and compass, the four children are supposed to work together on their venture. Instead, two of the group, Dirk and Margot, pair up and leave Karin behind with Lotte. After Karin reflects back on her last time in Veluwe with her father Pieter before he passed away, she discovers that Lotte is nowhere in sight. Scared but confident, Karin sets off to find her way to the scout campsite.

Meanwhile, her mother Grace returns home to enjoy an evening by herself since her second husband Martijn is one of the parents with Karin and her group.  She also takes the opportunity to find out what keeps Martijn so busy in his “man cave”. Grace’s instinct that she might have made a mistake marrying her current husband appears to be proven true when she uncovers stunning information. Martijun was Pieter’s accountant but why would he have copies of her photojournalist former husband’s photos? And why are there pictures of  them that appear to be taken without her and Pieter’s knowledge? Grace is trying to understand this startling turn of events when a phone call about Karin sends her on a panicked drive to the national forest.

You’ll Thank Me for This is an exciting mystery that is quite engrossing. Karin is a resourceful, intelligent young woman with an extensive knowledge of the Hoge Veluwe National Forest. Grace’s growing uneasiness with Martijn prompts her to do the unthinkable as she searches for answers about him. The shocking information she unearths finally encourages her to act. The storyline is gripping and moves at a brisk pace.  Nina Siegal brings this suspenseful novel to an action-packed conclusion.  I highly recommend this thrilling novel to fans of the genre.

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Filed under Action, Contemporary, Mulholland Books, Nina Siegal, Rated B, Review, Suspense, You'll Thank Me for This

January 27, 2020 · 11:56 pm

Review: Into the Fire by Gregg Hurwitz

Title: Into the Fire by Gregg Hurwitz
Orphan X Series Book Five
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Genre: Contemporary, Action, Thriller, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 392 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher

Summary:

The New York Times bestselling Orphan X returns – just when Evan Smoak thinks he’s done, his deadliest job yet pulls him back Into The Fire…

Evan Smoak lives by his own code.

Once he was known as Orphan X. Trained as an off-the-books government assassin and spoken about only in whispers, Evan Smoak was one of the most talented – and most feared – men in the Program. But he broke free and reinvented himself as The Nowhere Man, a figure shrouded in mystery, known for helping the truly desperate.

If anyone is truly desperate, it’s Max Merriweather.

Max is at the end of his rope. His cousin has been brutally murdered, leaving Max an envelope that contains nothing but a mysterious key. However, someone really wants that key, badly enough that Max – and anyone he turns to – is in deadly danger. What seems like a simple job for The Nowhere Man turns out to be anything but. Behind every threat he takes out, a deadlier one emerges and Evan Smoak must put himself in greater danger than ever before as he heads once more Into The Fire.

Review:

Into the Fire by Gregg Hurwitz is an adrenaline fueled thriller with pulse-pounding action and a skilled assassin turned vigilante. In this latest outing in the Orphan X series, former government black ops assassin Evan Smoak aka the Nowhere Man and Orphan X answers the phone and accepts what he plans to be his final case.

Max Merriweather has no idea what his murdered cousin Grant was involved in, but he wants to honor his last request.  Quickly discovering that Grant is not the only victim, Max escapes undetected with what could possibly contain answers for his many questions. Fearing for his life, he has a fortuitous encounter that leads to the Nowhere Man.  Examining the thumb drive Grant handed over to his cousin right before his death, Evan knows exactly why Grant was murdered.  With the help of teenage hacker and friend, Joey Morales, they quickly discover the identity of the people who are hunting Max. But is there more to this tangled web of illegal activities than Smoak and Morales believe?

Evan is finally at the point where he believes he has atoned for his past. Although he does not have a clear vision of his future, he is ready to leave behind the Nowhere Man and live a normal life. Due to his past, he has few social skills so traversing his very involved homeowners’ association is quite tricky. So are his attempts to navigate his awkward relationship with his neighbor D.A. Mia Hall and her son Peter.

Max is the failure of the Merriweather family and he is definitely persona non grata with his relatives. He has yet to recover from the failure of his marriage which only adds to his feelings of worthlessness. Despite the danger that awaits him around every corner, Max wants to honor his (reluctant) promise to Grant. But will he emerge from this quest unscathed?

Evan is self-confident he can eliminate the threat on Max’s life and he methodically begins gathering information on his targets. With Joey’s invaluable assistance, he zeroes in on the suspects and sets up reconnaissance.  An unexpectedly dangerous encounter results in a concussion but Evan does not have time to stop for his recovery. Battling his head injury’s extremely worrisome symptoms,  the Nowhere Man is unstoppable as he methodically and ruthlessly sets out to vanquish Max’s foes. Unfortunately, once one risk is removed, another takes its place.  Has the Nowhere Man finally met his match? Or will he, Joey and Max completely uncover the labyrinth of corruption in time to prevent another deadly plot devised by the bad guys to evade detection and capture?

With non-stop action, unanticipated twists and exhilarating turns, Into the Fire is a riveting and suspenseful mystery. Evan is a complex character with a surprising need to make up for his past which weighs rather heavily on his conscience. Max is a sympathetic client whom Evan offers encouragement and suggestions to shore up his non-existent self-confidence.  Despite Evan’s encounters with  numerous obstacles and deadly encounters, Gregg Hurwitz brings this electrifying thriller to a dramatic, hair-raising conclusion.  This brilliant installment in the Orphan X series ends with a shocking phone call that will leave fans breathlessly anticipating the next adventure starring Evan Smoak.

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Filed under Action, Contemporary, Gregg Hurwitz, Into the Fire, Minotaur Books, Mystery, Orphan X Series, Rated B+, Review, Suspense, Thriller